There’s good news and bad news in the immediate aftermath of the NBA free agency window opening if you’re a Boston Celtics fan.
For starters, a report that president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was “frustrated” and willing to trade Marcus Smart that made rounds Monday appears to be false, according to The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach.
“Marcus Smart isn’t going anywhere,” Himmelsbach wrote in a tweet shortly after NBA free agency opened up at 6 p.m. ET.
This isn’t entirely surprising, as Stevens has long stressed the importance of Smart in the Celtics locker room. Maybe the team actually just leaked information in order to gain leverage before negotiating with him on an extension.
Another fan-favorite was rumored to be an option for Boston, but Himmelsbach ruled out Isaiah Thomas return as well, calling it “not in the cards.”
So far, the Celtics haven’t made any free agent signings, but that, of course, could change.
